I am woman and I am like that caged bird who has wings but chipped. Who can sing but is fearful. Whose feet are tied, whose tunes are lonely. I am a woman, often battling injustice, prejudice and social inequality.

I am a caged woman but my education set me free. I have learn to face the hardship but still stand up, stand up on my own feet and sing. I am often considered as secondary to a male but that's ok, I am not here to succumb to it. I am here to fight the prejudice. But the question is how long? Well as long as my feet supports me, i will stand up and stand for me....

It was mid September and high time for promotions list to come.
Some blamed it to the recession and some chose to keep quiet. I was positive,
never been so sure. After all, it was the much-awaited promotion of my career,
my first official promotion. Every year I got accolades for my work and
promised a promotion but at end hour due to some XYZ reason it uses to get
postponed. This time no reason in the world could stop as the results were not
just very visible but agreed by all in sundry including top mgt.

This time, the boss called each candidate personally to hand over the
letters. I sat with baited breath at seat, which was just outside the boss’s
cabin. This promotion meant a lot, in terms of career, years of sincerity,
blind faith in company, good work, merit to my education, my hard work, family, financial independence
and personal motivation.

With every second name called, my breaths grew faster. With every second
passed, the anticipation went high. I folded my hands beneath table first in
anticipation, then in anxiety and later in an attempt to self control. The
words started ringing in my head- “Brilliant analysis. Great job done. You have
exceeded all the expectations. This is your year. You have outshine this year
and how. If you do not get promoted this year than who is worthy. Do not worry,
keep the excellent work high and you never know what you might get.”

My teammate who just joined our project at last minute, was called
to collect his letter and he came back with couple of letters in his hand
but none of them bore my name. “May be boss wants to make it special, may be he hands my letter later” I thought. Hours passed and wait never ended.

I have been a victim of favoritism and office politics earlier.
People find different measure to bring you down. “Oh you are a girl, what would
you understand of business. It’s a tough job madam. One has to struggle in sun
to get a place”. “Oh you are a girl and handicap. Marketing job requires a lot
of movement, lots of action, how would you do it”? “You must look at simple
work like govt jobs or HR or finance wmye you can sit on the desk and work”.
“Girls look nice at home, fending for family, cooking and nurturing children.
You should settle down and let your husband take this responsibility” Time and
again I proved my detractors wrong. I worked more than normal individuals and
many women combined together. People who pointed fingers were now eating from
hands with different non related issues coming to me for resolution. I have
been appreciated for all. This time it was different, I thought.

I never discriminated myself for anything nor did I ask or took special favors which could have been my right but rightfully denied. I stayed late trying tro wind up everything and not that I was ineffective. If I were one, I wouldn't be involved in key projects nor would I have delivered.

My role was taken and given to a male colleague. No explanations given. My boss's secretary simple explanation was- he needs a "senior" "guy" to be his analyst who can travel with him, who can be part of his meetings where he can freely abuse others in ,most colorful language.Business is so much "a guy's thing". Yes. I didn't say much but in few months time, the guy was out and this girl was in. why? purely on performance basis.

Companies can hire new candidates at higher positions and remuneration to do the job which a current person is doing but fail to acknowledge the latter. My growth became unbudgeted and all those things. Whether its analytical, lead or getting things done on time with zero error.

People were discussing
their growth while I sat as a mute outcast. I tried hard to conceal
disappointment, bitterness behind an assignment. This time no consolation
seemed justified. I looked back at past and regretted choosing tenacity over
actual results.

To make matter worse, a business-head who worked with me accidentally congratulated along
with my other two colleagues who were promoted. "Yours was a clear inevitable promotion, lady". Life is a series of relentless
horrors with one following the other. I tried hard to smile, but failed
miserably. I failed again when my superior tried to crack a silly joke. I
plainly refused to reciprocate this time.

It was 8pm in the evening. I sat with my boss and lead HR in the former’s
cabin, listening to their lame story of excuses. Life is
definitely a series of horrors. I was made to hear pessimistic stories of
various high profile people who too had undergone the similar phase in their
careers a [It sounded more like how certain organizations have failed to
appreciate its resources], trauma of the Indian population who does not have 3
meals a day and organization’s struggle in recession. When in recession you hire an employee 3 levels higher than current employee and make him do the work that latter is doing and still do not like his performance, only to chuck him out of team and call back the girl and still not giving her any dues in terms of growth and market correction? The reality was they took my faith as my helplessness and lack of opportunities. Little did they realize that I have received multiple offers in meantime with 100% inc in salary in position but i wanted to grow in the same company that I was so passionate about.

I sat there for few more minutes,
seeing two of my most favorite people esp when one was a female, descending away to clichés. They asked me another 6 months to get the correction done. They won the appraisal argument that year with all the crap they gave me but lost the loyal, trusting employee in me. I couldn't take it longer. I stood up and asked- Is my performance not up to mark? They said No. I asked you think am not able to deliver higher goals? they said No, you can. I said- thank you gentlemen. I got my answer.

That was one day and I never looked back. I opened my desk and took out the crumpled piece of paper that had earlier
offered my a lucrative option outside. In last four years, many such papers
have accumulated. I called the day off. In couple of months, I moved myself to a better paid, designated job and never stopped since. On my way exit, my boss tried different people to lure me. One even came and remarked- You know the world outside is bad. They are animals and not good for lady? I said- "I know, I have seen too and thank you for alerting me".

The autor is half Human, half machine. Go Figure or just revel in what I write